C'bay Cruise with Fleet 10, Day 4

South Paw docked in Safe Harbor Marina, Oxford, MD

Fleet 10 Cruise, Day 4, June 20, 2023

Fleet 10 Cruise Day 4:  Per Capt. Stull:  Bad weather was forecast for Wednesday, so we ditched going to the anchorage in San Domingo Creek Tuesday and instead picked up an extra day at Cambridge Yacht Basin to ride it out. Chuck and Floy Marie Pease had their car in Oxford, so after breakfast; they left the cruise and took a ferry over to St. Michaels and then planned to head home. Cameron Kasey Stull , Allen Murphy, and I left Oxford around noon and sailed the entire way between marina entrances to Cambridge Yacht Basin. With only a full jib, we maintained 4.5-5.5 knots nearly the entire trip. Cam did a great job keeping us pointed high into the wind so we could stay between the shoals and navigate the bends in the Choptank River with minimal tacks (only 2 in 13 NM!).  Murph and my tactics and trim, South Paw's windward jib-only performance, and Cam's piloting all came together for a great execution and a really fun sail. We fueled up and pumped out on arrival, just so we don't have to worry about it in the rain later, and buttoned up the boat to prepare for lots of rain and 30+ knot winds. Sue drove us over to Bombay Social for a great, spicy Indian dinner. When we got back, we had been 'watermeloned', which is a Fleet 10 tradition. We knew that Heather and Carol of Yes II were not staying on their boat, so we launched a night Ops mission to dump the watermelon on their boat.  We have had four great days, but it looks like our luck with the weather has run out.

Chuck and Floy, at left, departed our crew from Oxford, MD

Sean, Cameron, Murph sailing to Cambridge, MD

Captain Sean at the helm

Dinner with the Fleet at Bombay Social, Cambridge, MD

South Paw was "Watermeloned!"

Video by Captain Sean

A great sail with limited tacks
in the twisty Choptank River.

Sailing track from Oxford to Cambridge.